In the not so distant future fishermen across the Great Lakes will begin to prepare for the spring run of steelhead that will occur in a large majority of the tributaries of the Great Lakes. Often the steelhead that run in the spring are larger and more mature than the steelhead that run in the fall in the tributaries. Fishing for steelhead in the spring will begin as soon as the ice clears from the streams and often will steelhead will continue to run until the first part of June.

One of the most useful fishing tools I have found that allows me to discover when to go fishing and when to stay home is the USGS Real-time water data website. You can discover the real time flows of streams and rivers across the US via any Internet connection. This information is especially handy when fishing for trout or steelhead and deciding if a stream is to high or to low to fish and will give you an advantage on knowing what flies or types of lures you should have with you.

Fly fishing can be summed up in one word "Awesome" It's a sport that everybody can enjoy and learn to love. Fly fishing is not necessarily an expensive sport but to the contrary it is one of the least expensive fishing techniques to get started in. You don't need a boat; you don't need a ton of gear; just fly rod, reel, line, and flies. The one thing you do need to be a successful fly fishermen is patience and a wiliness to learn. Fly fishing is not something you decide to do one day and automatically your a professional. Fly fishing can take a lifetime to master, but you can learn to be a very successful fly fishermen with some practice and patience.

Steelhead fishing can often mean fishing in cold temperatures for fish that are holding to tight to the bottom. Most of my best days of steelheading are on days that the weather is terrible from blowing snow to cold rain to wind that blows your fly line backwards. Often on these days steelhead are hugging the bottom and not willing to move to far to attack a fly.

Steelhead Fishing has become one of the fastest growing sports in the North East due to the massive stocking programs by the states of Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio. With this fast growing sport is a large fly fishing community looking to master the waters of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. And everybody is looking for the magic fly that will catch more steelhead than any other fly. Guess What? There's no magic fly out there!